English Language

News about English Language, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 26, 2015

Adrian Chen First Words column submits protest by volunteer moderators at online message board Reddit over firing of popular moderator and ensuing chaos has upended associations of stability and civility ordinarily appended to word 'moderator'; says situation is product of online business model in which task of governing enormous flow of traffic falls to unpaid moderators with little incentive to conform to outside standards of decency. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Anna Holmes First Words column examines how state of race relations in America has given rise to and debunked word 'postracial'; says word represents fantasy world where race does not matter, as well as a longing to escape America's racist past; asserts that current events demonstrate that United States is not a postracial society. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Maria Bustillos Letter of Recommendation column describes why 20-volume 1989 edition of Oxford English Dictionary is her prize possession. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Mattathias Schwartz First Words column contends word 'relevant,' when used by National Security Agency, expands to include all information gathered in bulk collection of phone records; says use of word allows spying on citizens with impunity, since no information is irrelevant. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Mark Leibovich First Words column examines use of word 'folks' by political figures. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Amanda Hess First Words column traces rise of phrase 'I can't even' from remote corners of Internet and teenage life into mainstream. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Many Americans welcome use of gender-neutral third-person pronoun Mx, pronounced mix, which has been gaining mainstream traction in Britain in last several years. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Colson Whitehead First Words column examines phrase 'Pics or it didn't happen,' demand for visual proof to back up verbal claims; debates whether phrase has staying power of other visually-motivated aphorisms, like 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' MORE

May. 24, 2015

Luc Sante First Words column charts evolution of word 'random,' and notes that in common usage today it is applied to people in way that marks them as 'other.' MORE

May. 17, 2015

Anna Holmes First Words column examines concept of shade, or art of sidelong insult; submits shade has roots in covert communication developed by slaves and has been refined by marginalized people throughout society, including blacks, gays and straight women of color; holds social media has added additional layer of complexity to shade. MORE

May. 10, 2015

Gregory Hickok Gray Matter column describes study he will publish in journal Psychological Science that seems to confirm other studies suggesting that the human brain experiences world in rhythmic pulses or waves rather than as continuous flow; suggests that language should adapt to reflect this emerging consensus, and rather than using image of stream, people should talk of a 'rhythm' of consciousness or thought. MORE

May. 3, 2015

Michael Pollan First Words column examines debate over meaning of word 'natural' that has arisen in relation to food industry, vaccination and even gay marriage as humans grapple with their impact on world. MORE

Apr. 21, 2015

Fred Shapiro, associate director of Yale Law School Library, finds term African-American used for first time in 1782 Pennsylvania Journal advertisement; discovery moves origin of word back to time of America's independence. MORE

Apr. 19, 2015

Virginia Heffernan First Words column examines how word 'mindfulness,' which originated as loose translation of Buddhist concept, is now in vogue. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Mark Leibovich First Words column analyzes use of term 'polarizing' in politics and political journalism, particularly the way Hillary Clinton is characterized; suggests word often implicates that politics was once more collegial, which is false, and is often used as unnecessary euphemism for reality of partisan politics. MORE

Apr. 5, 2015

Colson Whitehead First Words column suggests that widespread use of phrase 'You do you' and its close relative 'Haters gonna hate' are emblematic of current culture's tendency toward narcissism. MORE

Mar. 29, 2015

Parul Sehgal First Words column examines contemporary usage of the word 'flawless,' focusing on how its use on social media reflects current era's notions of women's beauty; notes word's popularity spiked due to Beyonce song. MORE

Mar. 22, 2015

Op-Ed article by author Aatish Taseer points out importance placed on learning English in India has not only created class divide, but also is impacting country's literature; observes the hold English has on the country and its education system is enduring legacy of colonialism, one that will take generations to change. MORE

Mar. 15, 2015

First Words column by Mark Leibovich examines how politicians describe changing their positions on issues as 'evolving' in order to avoid being labeled as flip-floppers. MORE

Mar. 13, 2015

James B Stewart Common Sense column observes that 10 years after former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced end of 'Fedspeak,' news media, financial analysts and investors are still tussling with bank's ambiguous statements and pronouncements; wonders if language itself is up to the linguistic task for better communication. MORE

Mar. 8, 2015

Dispatch column by Damon Darlin complains that emojis, collection of icons available on smartphones that have been appropriated from Japanese, do not adequately reflect idioms of American culture. MORE

Mar. 1, 2015

Amanda Hess First Words column reflects on how phrase 'you're welcome' is now more often used sarcastically than as a genuine, gracious response to one person thanking another. MORE

Mar. 1, 2015

Symbols and punctuation say more in texting era than actual words. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

Scientists have begun using computational techniques and study of ancient DNA in effort to settle long debate over origin of proto-Indo-European language, ancient tongue considered to be basis of all Indo-European languages, including English; new research seems to indicate that root language more likely originated 6,500 years ago on European steppes, not 8,500 years ago in Turkey as suggested. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

Media analysis published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by the University of Vermont and the Mitre Corporation finds that news articles, books, websites, social media posts and other forms of communication contain more positive words than negative words; finding confirms Pollyanna theory of positivity bias and upends perception of negative news dominance. MORE

Feb. 22, 2015

Virginia Heffernan First Words column suggests phrase 'Let's get out of here,' which used to be the most popular line in movies, may be in the process of being replaced by the word 'stay'; identifies examples of the use of the word in slew of contemporary movies, and reflects on how it seems to be better suited for the times. MORE

Feb. 17, 2015

Justin Gillis By Degrees column notes circulation of petition asking news media to abandon use of term 'skeptics' for those who discount global warming and to instead refer to such people as 'deniers'; petition points to power of words and labels in climate debate, with dissenters protesting that term 'deniers' is deliberate attempt to link them to Holocaust deniers. MORE

Feb. 8, 2015

Rocko Gieselman, University of Vermont student who identifies as being member of distinct third gender, has asked to be referred to with pronoun 'they' rather than 'he' or 'she'; Gieselman is part of growing movement that considers gender to be fluid and is constructing language to reflect that view, which some colleges are working to accommodate. MORE

Feb. 8, 2015

Jan. 29, 2015

Kit Eaton App Smart column compares mobile grammar aid applications designed for use both by native English speakers and those learning the language; recommends ZeroDesktop app QualityTime, which helps Android phone users manage their time. MORE

Jan. 25, 2015

Op-Ed article by author Tom Koch calls attention to fact that word 'tragic' loses its meaning because of its overuse by media, from terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo to drunken driving accidents around prom season; suggests tragedies should ideally be instructive, and that events like police shooting of Michael Brown or Paris attacks are not themselves tragic, but indicative of larger forces that when put in proper context, constitute tragedies. MORE

Jan. 9, 2015

Increasingly sophisticated algorithms found on smartphone autocorrect features, which use an individual user's language to guess phrases and word patterns, are leading many to worry that so-called 'autofails,' or accidental autocorrection, reveals something about themselves. MORE

Dec. 5, 2014

Advertising column; use of the word 'bold' has been increasingly popular for marketers of variety of products; some uses of the word seem baffling. MORE

Nov. 23, 2014

Colorado's legal marijuana culture inspires new slang for pot, including word 'vape,' which has been chosen as Oxford Dictionary's 2014 Word of the Year. MORE

Nov. 19, 2014

Op-Ed article by Prof Lori L Tharps argues that it is past time that the publishing industry--major newspapers, magazines and books--embrace capitalization of the word 'black' when referring to Black people; notes that ever since African people arrived in United States, they have had to fight for the right to a name properly identifying their culture and ethnicity. MORE

Nov. 2, 2014

Dispatch column by Steven Kurutz remarks on the proliferation of the use of 'sort of' and 'kind of' in spoken English; contends use of those phrases shows how language reflects uncertainties of modern life. MORE

Oct. 4, 2014

Op-Ed article by lexicographer and editor Kory Stamper submits that much slang has older and more venerable roots than most people realize; traces roots of several slang words; holds persistence of slang points to fluid and enduring nature of English language. MORE

Sep. 28, 2014

Gray Matter column by Profs Robert P Crease and Alfred Scharff Goldhaber observes the way vocabulary of quantum physics has entered mainstream lexicon; posits that understanding and appreciating quantum imagery, along with ability to recognize its abuses, is part of what it means to be educated person in 21st century. MORE

Aug. 7, 2014

English-language classes at New York City's public libraries are so popular that people in some neighborhoods stand in line for hours to sign up and many have to be turned away when they reach capacity; about 3.9 million residents in city speak language other than English at home. MORE

Jul. 17, 2014

Beppe Severgnini Op-Ed article maintains that summer invasion of Great Britain by teenagers from across Europe wishing to improve their English language skills is part of the glue that holds the continent together; asserts that students learn much more than language, and that the cross-cultural bonds they form build a more unified Europe than any that politicians could muster. MORE

Jun. 19, 2014

Academic paper published by Stefan Szymanski, economist who is a professor of sport management at the University of Michigan and the co-author of Soccernomics, suggests that the word soccer began in Britain and was used there happily until at least the 1970s, even as spirited debate over the sport's name endures; sport is called football almost everywhere, but not in the United States. MORE

May. 4, 2014

Overuse of the word 'blessed' on social media has all but stripped it of its meaning; term is more often than not used by those who want to boast about an accomplishment while pretending to be humble, fish for a compliment or purposely elicit envy. MORE

Apr. 16, 2014

Stuart Elliott Advertising column; campaigns featuring coined and made-up words, like Sprint's combination of 'friends' and 'family' for its 'framily' campaign, are increasingly prevalent on television, in print, online and in social media. MORE

Apr. 13, 2014

Gender neutral terms are catching on at more liberal college campuses. MORE

Apr. 13, 2014

News analysis; American female politicians are increasingly trying to rethink and reclaim how language shapes how they are perceived by using dismissive words to their advantage. MORE

Apr. 6, 2014

Op-Ed article by English Prof John McWhorter contends that casual American speech is becoming more polite and sophisticated, despite widespread belief that the country is moving backwards with respect to language. MORE

Mar. 31, 2014

Op-Ed article by lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower observes news media's stance on offensive language and content has not shifted along with society's comfort level; contends avoiding such language or certain profane words can often deprive readers of news and information. MORE

Mar. 2, 2014

Loose Ends column by Prof Daniel Nester underscores how distinctive the Philadelphia regional accent is, and how difficult it is to imitate. MORE

Jan. 22, 2014

Oxford English Dictionary, now under leadership of Michael Proffitt, is looking to serve traditionalists and new users alike; Proffitt assumes responsibility of retaining vaunted traditions while ensuring relevance in era of Googled definitions and text talk. MORE